Umbra Maleficium
The Umbra Maleficium are an evolutionary offshoot of the Intimus Maleficium caused by both hostile conditions and genetic tampering. Their "homeworld" is a radiation-soaked rock where the only habitable area is underground, and the tough life that the Umbra had to adapt to led to them becoming much more violent and sneaky than the Intimus. Name "Umbra" comes from "Shadow", reflecting both their appearance and natural habitat. The name is one they themselves use, so it is likely that it evolved out of early Intimus who used it to describe what they were becoming. History Evolution Transition to civilization Habitat and population Biology Anatomy Umbra Maleficium are not significantly different than the Intimus, though they do weigh less, at about 84 kilograms (185 pounds). Their scales and feathers are also much less colourful, only coming in shades of charcoal of grey and black. Their lighter weight is due to the lesser gravity of the planet they became trapped on, along with intentional tinkering with their genetics to allow them more agility. Their wings are less densely feathered and instead edged with razor-like scales as a natural weapon. Umbra sport the same long, flexible tail as the Intimus, though theirs ends not in a feathered fan but in a foot-long, wickedly curved blade of bone. Umbra have much larger talons than Intimus, and their claws are also faintly razor edged. Additionally, Umbra's saliva is a very powerful hemotoxin to which they themselves are immune. A single bite will often result in significant damage to the surrounding tissue. Umbra are less physically powerful than Intimus, but make up for it in increased speed and agility. Nearly all the bodily fluids of Umbra Maleficium glow an orange-yellow colour, and this glow can last up to several hours. This includes their blood, saliva, and even the vitreous jelly of their eyes. The fact that their eyes glow is of great help, because Umbra have even better night vision than the Intimus and can see by hardly any light at all, which is provided handily by their natural luminescence. Physiology Umbra Maleficium physiology shares the same greater mass as the Intimus, though to a lesser degree. This also brings with it a similar ability to withstand physical punishment. Life cycle Umbra Maleficium have virtually the same life cycle as the Intimus, though they have even shorter lifespans (about forty years) and have a higher birth rate. Pheromones Umbra Maleficium share the Intimus' ability to produce pheromones, though theirs are less powerful due to having less feathers. Diet Umbra are powerful hunters, but are not above scavenging if it's more effective. Sleep Umbra Maleficium have no set activity schedual, and take naps whenever it is convenient. Psychology Umbra are similarly intelligent to humans or other spacefaring species, though their lifespan and lower technological level limits the amount of information absorption that can be accomplished compared to longer-lived species with greater information bases. Motivation and emotion The Umbra Maleficium have been forged into a very tough, cynical species by their environment. They are doubly aware of their surroundings compared to the Intimus, but lack the same inquisitive nature, preferring to take the safest, most well-known rout in any situation. Their pheromones continue to enforce a very communal attitude, but Umbra prefer to keep self-sufficient whenever possible, resulting in a lower level of communication. Sexuality and love Umbra share the sex drive of the Intimus, though their relations last much shorter periods of time. Culture Language Umbra language evolved from a single Intimus dialect, and thus can easily be understood by those who understand these roots. The only major differences are a loss of words to describe plants, sunlight, many surface-based concepts or most types of technology and the adaptability to utilize echoes. The written language remains largely the same, but is infrequently used. Spirituality and religion Umbra Maleficium do not have any form of religion, though they do continue to tell origin myths that are twisted forms of their history. Art, music, and literature The Umbra do not have much interest in art, but do retain the Intimus interest in music. They are, however, known to create very complex tribal markings using materials such as crushed luminescent fungus and saliva. Tool use and technology Umbra make rather heavy use of simple mechanisms for their traps, to a much greater extent than the Intimus Maleficium. Their natural weapons, being superior to those of the Intimus continue to negate the need for weaponry, but they will often form ambushes using nets, concealed pit traps and falling rocks, occasionally creating fairly sophisticated devices. Society, government, and politics The Umbra Maleficium are exclusively tribal, forming into groups of roughly fifty to a hundred individuals and led by an "alpha", much like other pack animals. Some of these tribes remain in one location, while others are nomadic and travel through the extensive cave systems according to things like prey migration or those seasonal differences that can be detected. War Umbra avoid conflict with each other whenever possible, preferring to keep to themselves. When fighting is unavoidable, however, the inter-tribal war goes on until one side has been completely crushed, leaving no survivors. Trade and economics Trade between tribes of Umbra Maleficium is uncommon, but a few do maintain dedicated traders to make the dangerous treks between locations. Category:Species Category:Maleficium Category:Science Fiction